Anyone taught in a Youth Offenders Institute?

[cricketballs]

There's a job that's come up at a YOI in my area that sounds really interesting but I've only ever worked in schools therefore need more info! So any experiences anyone would like to share?

I worked with young offenders in a alternative to custody and I also went into prisons to work with young offenders.
I enjoyed it as long as the boundaries are clear and you know where/how to get help if ever you need it. It helps to be in a strong supportive team. Most kids, sadly, have issues with education - lots of special needs, lots who haven't been in full time ed through truancy, offending etc. I taught English and maths plus my specialist subject: Art. What's really nice and rewarding is when you turn them onto education and learning be it teaching them to read and write or helping them get to uni. It can be intense and you can be hard especially as they will treat you as a butt for their aggression, anger and hurt. Many will have a lack of trust of any adults they deem to be in authority - but if you can get past that it's great and you are building perhaps their first relationships based on trust with adults. You are mainly working with small groups and it helps if you've got experience of behaviour management and anger management
Go for it, Good luck

Thanks nell I'm really tempted as the post sounds really good (vocational curriculum manager) and given my specialism is vocationally based (they are also advertising for my subjects) and my experience it does sound perfect.

What were the hours/holidays etc? It is a post that is via Manchester College but based at the YOI locally

When I did it, they were running a 50 week year, you got standard 5.6weeks holiday and the pay was in the 23-27K bracket.

The pay is comparable with my current but the holidays are a concern - is the workload less?

My view is that even though the holidays aren't so long as school holidays you aren't so stressed- and you spend half of the school holidays recovering or getting psyched up to go back to work

Mine was attached to a college of fe but I didn't have much to do with them

It is a completely different way of working. Tends to have a massive lunch break as lock up, unlock and feed takes time. You get your paperwork done then. Also smaller classes.
If you are really interested phone and ask to go visit. You will either love it or hate it. Some people get totally freaked out by all the locked gates and doors. It is a bit of a marmite job.

This sounds really interesting. Where did you see it advertised?

I did for years in a vocational role. I found it to be challenging. Not because of the learners but because of the environment.

No - but during my training I did a placement in what was then known as an "approved" school for young offenders. I managed to get myself locked in a room with one young woman, who proceeded to teach me how to pick a lock - a skill that I retain to this day!

I did it as supply and enjoyed it; got word of a permanent job "informally" but it was over an hour's drive so I did not take it. I would have if it had been closer. Much lighter workload and interesting people to meet. Go for it, OP.

I worked in Reading YOI a long time ago (maybe 15 years ago), so things maybe very different now.

I found it a very brutal environment, fights would break out fairly frequently between inmates, the guards would stand back until a 'winner' had been established, and only then separate them.

If an inmate showed a bit of attitude or too much lip, the guards would arrange for him to be alone in a cell with one of the guards, who would give him a pasting. No more lip after that.

The whole thing of walking around with a huge bunch of keys hanging off your waste also seemed such a power trip.

But in such an environment, a status quo was maintained, however brutal.

ladie on TES - they are advertising for a number of roles for the same place via Manchester College - the deadline is a week away so I'm still weighing it up but very grateful for contributions so far.

I would be out of pocket by £2K PA but if the workload is less I'm thinking it would be worth it as my marking workload at current school has got ridiculous (I teach new BTEC spec at level 3 on a single option block with 14 students plus 3 year groups doing VCERT so that load is pushing me to the brink)

Thank you cricketballs. What did you decide? Good Luck if you did go for it.

I didn't apply in the end, not because it was a YOI but through lack of communication. I emailed the recruitment agency they were using asking a couple of questions about the role (the supporting documents were not clear) and also requesting a visit prior to application - and received no reply (other than the generic received and someone will respond asap one); if they can't respond to a simple question then I worry about the working environment as a whole

Yes that makes sense. Thank you for updating. That was very nosey of me.